Galatians 5:22, 23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
How often have you heard of the phrase “world peace” either from a contestant in a beauty pageant or from great teachers and philosophers. “World peace is a very interesting topic and when people talk about it they are usually talking about coming to a point in the world where everyone gets along and there are no more wars or disputes. The question you need to ask yourselves is this: Is world peace a possibility? Looking around us there are new wars and conflicts springing up every day so it does appear that “world peace” is a farfetched idea.
Now, there is nothing wrong with having the aspirations to end wars and to get everyone to just “get along”. The idea of “world peace” is wonderful but I am going to be honest with you and say that world peace is not going to happen, as noble a quest as it is. This world is filled with sin and ruled by satan so it is going to be impossible to have peace in a place that is ruled by the prince of darkness himself. Satan is a being that only seeks to destroy and therefore knows nothing about peace. He may be able to give a semblance of peace but the reality is that he will only do so to give false hope and security. One is better off seeking peace from a reliable source and Jesus is that source.
Jesus is the source of true peace. The peace that comes from Him is the peace we will be discussing today. It is the peace given to believers as a result of the inner workings of the Holy Spirit “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you…” It is the only lasting peace and it is much more than “world peace” and here is why.
It comes from God through faith in Christ…
God is described as the “God of peace” many times in the bible and that is because He is peaceful and He is the source of true peace. His main objective for us as His creation is that we be at peace with Him. He sacrificed His only son to make this peace available to us. Not only does He want us to be at peace with Him but He also wants us to have His peace working in us. It is His peace that will help to keep your heart and mind will be steady no matter what and it is also this peace that equips you to be peaceable with others. Anyone who puts their complete trust in Jesus for their salvation can receive and manifest this peace.
It starts from the inside…
The peace of God is described as “surpassing all understanding or comprehension…” this is because unlike the peace that the world give which is regulated by whatever is happening on the outside, the peace of God will stay no matter what things look like to everyone else. It works internally to steady and guard your heart and mind to face whatever is manifesting around you. The peace of God is supernatural, it is amazing and it will blow people’s mind.
It only requires that you be willing…
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone…” This means that you only need to be willing and do your part to maintain peace with others. When it comes down to choosing to take revenge over being at peace, all that is required of you is that you choose peace no matter what the other person decides to do. If it means walking away or ignoring; If it means praying for those who initiate conflict or if it means respectfully disagreeing and leaving things alone then do whatever depends on you. How others react or choose to take things is none of your concern or any of your responsibility for that matter. Whenever you choose peace just remember that you will not be disappointed and God will deal with the situation as He alone sees fit “vengeance is mine, I will repay say the Lord…”
Now I will give a quick note of caution here, pursing peace is not the same thing as unwisely putting yourself in harm’s way or trying to forge friendships with those who have made it clear that they don’t wish you well. Being close to someone or being friends with someone does not mean that you are at peace with them, no. The point here is this; as much as it depends on you endeavor to not fight tit for tat. Let the peace of God that is inside of you guide you and allow the Holy Spirit to use circumstances and people around you to produce peace as a fruit inside of you.
It shows that we are God’s children…
“Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the children of God…” The bible teaches that if you want to be identified as a child of God the way you pursue peace with others will show them that you are a child of God. It is one of the reasons why Christianity is often referred to as the religion of peace because Jesus, our Lord and the author and finisher of our faith, was peaceful. He was not a push over by any stretch of the imagination but He willingly pursued peace and was peaceable as much as depended on Him. Since we bear His name we should also imitate Him in this aspect as well.
It is impossible in the flesh…
The peace of God is not something you try to do in your flesh or by your strength because our enemy which is satan is very cunning. He doesn’t have peace himself and so he doesn’t want anyone else enjoying what he doesn’t have. He knows that the easiest way to cause people to lose their peace is to first destabilize them with the people and circumstances around them, and cause them to turn away from God. He already knows that God will only keep in peace those who continue to rely on Him for their strength; “You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace…”, therefore it is very important that you rely on the Holy Spirit to lead you so that in situations where others are losing their heads you can stay steady because you have the peace of God.
What the peace of God is NOT…
Let me remind you that the peace of God does not mean putting yourself in harm’s way; it doesn’t require that you share a “kumbaya” moment with everyone; the peace of God is reasonable even though it does not seek to take revenge. The peace of God also does not pretend to accept sin or rebellion against God just to get along with others; it is not foolish or delusion.
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be trouble or fearful.”
Hebrew 13:20 “Now may the God of peace, who brought from the dead our Lord Jesus- the great Shepherd of the sheep—with the blood of the everlasting covenant,”
Romans 5: 1 “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”
Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”
Romans 12: 18-20 “If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written ‘vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay’ says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will heap fiery coals on his head”
Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God”
Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you”
Temitope Talabi is a founding member of The Trent Voices currently reside in Austin, TX. She graduated with a PharmD from Texas Southern University in Houston, TX. She works as a community pharmacist and spends her spare time writing to build and encourage others through the word of God. Temitope is also currently working on a series of self-help books created to empower people to take charge of their health and wellness, the first of which is scheduled to be released early next year.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
